A Little Push
by paatuhod
Summary: "My brother... wanted to meet you," he settled, gauging his words. "Meet me? You told him about me?" Sakura said. She looked absolutely overjoyed. "He already knew who you were, you're my teammate," Sasuke said, looking away. "But he uhh... actually wanted to ask you out."
1. Itachi-nii san

It was an important Anbu mission, but one that didn't leave any lasting impressions on him. Nothing seemed to challenge Itachi Uchiha these days and he was getting stagnant.

His mind was on this as he and his senpai Shisui Uchiha jumped on the rooftops of Konohagakure's establishments on their way home to the Uchiha district, when he spotted a familiar figure—familiar figures—below: a pink-haired girl standing too close to a black-haired boy, the latter trying to brush off the former.

"He seems to be having fun," Shisui smiled unironically, pausing beside him.

"Does he?" Itachi asked, observing Sasuke's annoyed face from a distance.

"He does. You really need to brush up on your EQ, my friend," the curly-haired Uchiha replied, shaking his head solemnly, then pausing to look at his best friend and mentee. "Why don't you ask her out."

Itachi stared.

"Sakura Haruno?"

"Yes, Sakura Haruno. She's a fine kunoichi, beautiful and accomplished. And kind. Rare these says." Shisui made a 'tsk' sound.

Itachi stared some more. Shisui usually gave him advice on the application of battle tactics he thought up in his head, advice he always took, but this was different.

"Trust me, it'll be good for you both," Shisui winked at him.

Itachi frowned, wondering who "both" referred to. Then he realized Shisui was probably right: he did need to at least try to improve his social skills.

His eyes followed his little brother as the younger Uchiha was able to finally walk away from the girl and head home.

* * *

Sasuke still appeared to be in a bad mood when Itachi came in.

"So it's safe to say you don't like her, right?" He called out as he took off his sandals.

Sasuke groaned into his almost finished tea. He knew who his big brother was talking about.

"For the last time, nii-san, no, I don't like her."

"Good."

...

"...What?"

...

"Shisui..."

"_What?_"

"I didn't even say anything yet."

"You didn't have to!" _Really? Shisui?_ Sasuke thought, barely able to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Why are you bothered, Sasuke? I thought you didn't like her?"

"Just because I don't like her doesn't mean I don't—he's—he's—" Forward. _Too_ forward. And _old_. But Sasuke was too embarrassed to continue.

Instead, he turned to his big brother just in time to see the latter shaking his head.

"_He_ made the suggestion that _I_ take her out."

Sasuke stared.

"On... a date, Sasuke."

"Oh." He got that, he just didn't know what to say.

...

"And since you said it's okay..."

"Of course it is," Sasuke said quickly, looking away. "I only thought..."

"Well then, it's settled," Itachi nodded. "Next time she asks to walk home with you, let her tag along and introduce us, would you, _otouto_?"

"I... okay," Sasuke said quietly. _What just happened?_ He thought. When Itachi went inside their house to find Sasuke grumbling about Sakura Haruno wanting to walk him home again, Sasuke thought his big brother would be going about the usual teasing route with him, but apparently... he wanted to ask her out? Granted, his senpai told him to, but that didn't make it any less of a surprise.

Sasuke shook his head, trying to clear it, and stared at his brother as he took the stairs to his room.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke cringed at her voice, and kept walking, although slowing down a bit for the _kunoichi_ to catch up.

"Sa-su-ke-kun," Sakura said all sing-songy, cutting in front of him and leaning forward only to look up at his tense face. "You've been avoiding me," she pouted.

"No I haven't," he grumbled guiltily.

"Hmm, you have! For the past three days, you've been hurrying away from us after missions!"

"I've just been tired, that's all."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that. Their missions had all been Cs, and even she would have complained along with Naruto if it had lasted more than a few days. They were all _chuunin_, for _Kami_'s sake!

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay? You seem... out of it."

"What? Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?"

"Hmm," the pink-haired _kunoichi_ pouted, taking in the face she had known all these years. He was definitely lying. His face looked almost blank, but there was this knot between his eyebrows that made her reach out and (although Sasuke jumped, he let her) press little circles on it until it disappeared.

"Why don't I walk home with you?" She smiled, always constant, no matter how many times he rejected her request.

She thought she saw Sasuke flinch, but didn't think much of it. She knew what he was going to say—

"Oh, well, maybe next—"

"Okay."

"—ti—huh?"

"Come on before I change my mind," he chose to say, and started walking again.

"What made you, in the first place?" Sakura took hurried steps to catch up, flustered but delighted—and he suddenly didn't know what to say.

"My brother... wanted to meet you," he settled, gauging his words.

"Meet me? You told him about me?" Sakura said, flirtatiously batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner but her smile was so wide it didn't really work if she was planning to tease. She looked absolutely overjoyed.

"He already knew who you were, you're my teammate," Sasuke said, looking away. "But he uhh... actually wanted to ask you out."

Sakura's wide toothed smile faded to a closed mouth one, then to a curious frown.

"Wait... what?" When he heard this, Sasuke stole a glance at her and saw she was blushing slightly.

"He doesn't like you or anything," he found himself snapping.

"Oh," the kunoichi said in a small voice.

"Shisui told him he needed to improve his social skills or something—"

"Oh," she almost whispered, now with an audible wobble to her voice.

_Dammit, Sasuke._

"Itachi-nii san... asked you to introduce us?"

"I—yeah."

"And you said it was okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

...

"Sasuke-kun I don't think I'm up to walking you home, after all," she said in a small voice. Sasuke inwardly scolded himself because she was definitely holding back emotion. He screwed up somehow.

They both stopped walking.

"Sakura, I—"

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said and turned to the other direction.

He felt a strange mixture of guilt and... relief? He shook his head at the thought.

"Oh and," Sakura said, turning her head slightly back towards him. "Tell Itachi nii-san to meet me tomorrow after our mission by the a-un gates".

Sasuke stared at her retreating back until it was out of sight.

* * *

Sasuke had watched Sakura closely, looking for signs of distress but to no avail. She seemed her normal cheerful self, saying good morning with a big smile on her face, except she didn't linger by him anymore. It was subtle so he was the only one who noticed, if there really was anything to notice in the first place.

_It's a good thing_, he thought. _At least she isn't being annoying anymore._

But he couldn't shake the feeling that he should apologize somehow, though for what, he didn't know. But this knot in his stomach was more bothersome than her lingering, that's for sure. He'd been trying to get her alone all day but they were always surrounded by the other two. It was the end of the day now, and he should hurry up before she had to meet his brother.

"Sakura-chaaaan," he overheard Naruto say loudly to the kunoichi as they steadily approached the a-un gates. "I'm hungry!"

"And what am I supposed to do about that, Naruto?" the girl asked, probably rhetorically, but that didn't stop the blond from answering.

"Buy me a bowl of ramen?" He was nothing if not persistent. "It could be a date, if you want!"

"No I don't want to go on a date with you, you idiot!" Sakura often said this to Naruto, but there was always a soft tone to it, and the blond never took it to heart anyway. These days, especially, it was more of a routine invite, because the relationship between the two was more brother and sister than anything.

"Fine, no date then," Naruto pouted. "But ramen? Pleeeeaaaase?"

"I can't, I—I have somewhere to be."

Sasuke had been keeping his eyes ahead of him this whole time but glanced sideways at Sakura's words, and found that she was looking anywhere but at the three boys around her.

"Really?" Kakashi asked, suddenly interested. "Where would that be?"

"Nowhere," she walked faster, obviously uncomfortable.

"Sakura-chan, you're blushing," Naruto remarked, frowning. "Are you going on a date with _teme_?!" Naruto almost screamed the question, glaring at Sasuke.

"N-no," Sakura stammered, but she was far ahead already so nobody could see her face.

"Not with you?" Naruto was still glaring at the Uchiha, but curious now. "But with who?"

Sasuke was about to say "With _whom_" when a soft voice called out from beyond the gates.

"Sakura-san."

"Ah, Itachi-nii san," they heard the kunoichi greet in the formal way. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You, as well," the shinobi smiled sweetly, which looked oddly out of place because he was still clad in his deadly Anbu uniform. "You don't have to be so formal with me."

"Itachi-nii! Hey!" Naruto waved enthusiastically at the older Uchiha.

"Naruto, Sasuke. Senpai." Itachi bowed to Kakashi, which the latter awkwardly waved off, smiling through his mask.

"Itachi-nii, would _you_ buy me ramen? Sakura-chan here won't get me one because she's going on a date with another guy and _teme_ is acting all weird about it, so I figured I shouldn't ask him because he'd rather brood at home! Hehe," Naruto finished, grinning ear to ear.

Sakura tried to make her face look as blank as possible but the effort was in vain as her face's pinkness rivaled her hair's.

"That's not—" Sasuke began.

Itachi looked at his brother, then back at the blond.

"Actually, I can't buy you ramen, Naruto."

Kakashi looked at the strange scene before him.

"Ahh. I see," the jounin said. "Well, how about I treat you to some ramen, boys? Itachi and Sakura have somewhere to be and we're holding them up."

"Eeeeh?!" Naruto exclaimed, then stared at the older Uchiha. "Itachi nii? Are you—are _you_ going out with Sakura-chan?"

"I am," the Uchiha said, smiling at the boy.

"But—but—" the orange-clad shinobi looked back and forth between his rival and his rival's brother, not quite comprehending the situation. "But what about _teme_?" He asked Sakura, getting in between the older Uchiha and the kunoichi.

If Sakura had anything on her mind, she didn't let on.

"What _about_ me, you idiot?" Sasuke grabbed his irritating teammate away from his brother and Sakura. "I'll see you at home, nii-san," he nodded to his big brother.

"Well then, we'll go ahead," Itachi said, and turned to the kunoichi. "Let's go?"

"Yes!" She smiled radiantly, glowing in the orange sunset.

_Well, she seems elated_, Sasuke thought as the two walked away. His big brother was handsome, and kind, and an Anbu too. He would be quite a catch for the kunoichi.

Then again, Sakura was a catch, too. Disciple of the fifth Hokage, the brilliant chuunin was even said to be possibly on her way to becoming a full-fledged jounin if it weren't for the politics and tradition that surrounded the kunoichi promotions. Aside from being fearsome on the battlefield, she was quite the medical nin. He was sure she and his nii-san would get along. And probably bond over their love of sweets.

"Ne, _Teme_," a too loud whisper interrupted his thoughts. "Are you sure that's okay?" Naruto was frowning at the direction Itachi and Sakura went.

"Why are you asking me?" The younger Uchiha scowled.

Naruto looked at him like he swallowed his own bunshin.

"You know, you always call me an idiot but you should—"

"Boys, boys," Kakashi sighed. "Let's not be rude. Why don't we just go get that ramen?"

"No thanks," Sasuke said. He should be going home and helping his mother with dinner, anyway.

Naruto smirked maliciously. "See, you are bothered!"

"Sasuke, are you—" Kakashi started.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Sasuke sighed and walked away.


	2. Do you like dango?

"Itachi-nii san, I have to—"

"Please, just call me Itachi."

Sakura paused, unable to help the blush the crept to her cheeks. She wrung her hands which were behind her back as she walked beside the older Uchiha brother.

"Okay, I-Itachi... I have to be frank, I know you're only doing this because Shisui-san suggested it," the _kunoichi_ started, taking a deep breath before she continued. "I know you don't like me that way and I completely understand. I... don't like you that way, either—" she paused to look up at the Shinobi whom she found was looking at her and listening to every word. "—because as you probably know... I... like Sasuke-kun a lot."

Sakura waited if the older Uchiha had something to say but he appeared to be waiting for her to continue, so she took another deep breath and went on.

"But yesterday I realized that he isn't really... interested, and I don't want to be... you know."

Itachi shook his head, mutely asking what she meant.

"You know," Sakura said.

"I... don't know."

"Oh _Kami_," Sakura giggled. "I guess working for the Anbu really took its toll on you, didn't it?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I'll try harder, Sakura-san," Itachi was smiling again.

"You don't have to apologize for that," Sakura smiled back. "And call me Sakura."

"Hmm, Sakura," the _shinobi_ tried it out. "What did you mean, then?"

"Well... I didn't want to push myself where I'm not wanted, you know? I don't know if I'll ever stop liking Sasuke-kun, and I thought perhaps he cared for me somehow even though he had a strange way of showing it, but the moment he made himself clear that I didn't have a chance... I just didn't want to push it."

"Did he?"

"Huh?"

"Make himself clear? Did he?" Itachi smiled softly as he asked.

Sakura looked away.

"He said it was okay that I go on a date with you," she said in a small voice. "I think he couldn't be any clearer than that."

Itachi hummed thoughtfully.

"My _otouto_... has always been a very emotional child," he said fondly. "I would say we are very different in that manner. He just has so much love to give. And that is perhaps why _I_ love him so much."

Sakura blushed. They had only been conversing for the better part of 15 minutes yet they were talking about things like this.

"We have grown apart a little since I took on the duty of becoming an Anbu. I cannot pretend to know him the way I did when he was a little boy, but I think he's the same boy, if you look closely enough—and I am sure you have."

Sakura smiled.

"He cares about you, more than you know. To what extent, I do not know. But he does."

"Ah, I'm sure," the _kunoichi_ said brightly. "That's why I'm still happy that I can keep him in my life. At least we can be great friends!"

Itachi hummed again.

"Thank you, Itachi," the pink-haired girl said. "I can tell you're a great big brother to him."

The _shinobi_ laughed at this.

"I doubt. But I do try."

The kunoichi frowned at this, but jumped suddenly as if realizing something.

"Oh! Where should we go? We've been walking around for 20 minutes!" she exclaimed, embarrassed.

"Hmm... do you like _dango_?"

* * *

"_Tadaima_," the _shinobi_ greeted as he removed his sandals.

"_Okaeri_, Itachi. It's later than usual for you," Mikoto observed. "Long mission?"

"No, mother, I was out with Sakura."

Sasuke's ears perked up at the lack of honorifics, but went back to raiding the refrigerator for food, which he hurried down to do as soon as he heard his brother coming towards the front door.

"Sakura?" The Uchiha matriarch cocked her head to the side curiously. She went back to taking jounin missions when Sasuke graduated from the academy, and she's heard of only one Sakura in the field.

"Yes. Sakura Haruno, _haha-ue_," Itachi confirmed.

"Sasuke's Sakura?"

"She's not _my_ anything," Sasuke stood straight, grumbling as he grabbed the milk carton for the second time, only to put it back in the fridge. "..._okaa-san_," he added, just in case.

"Well all right," Mikoto smiled. "I just meant your teammate. I heard about her, they say she's second only to her master in medical ninjutsu, and quickly catching up. And not only that, her strength is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, as well."

"She's also very kind, mother," Itachi smiled back. "And fun to be with. We ate _dango_ and talked by the lake today."

Sasuke slammed the door of the fridge and started walking out of the kitchen.

Mikoto stared after his younger son.

"Itachi," she whispered. "Is your brother okay?"

"Hmm. I don't know yet, _haha-ue_."

"Do me a favor and find out, won't you, Ita?" Mikoto smiled gently.

* * *

"In a hurry, Sakura?" Kakashi observed, seeing the _kunoichi_'s quick strides. It was Saturday so their mission was done in the morning only, as Sakura had to go to the hospital.

"Yeah, _sensei_, I have an uh, important patient to see," she said in a determined voice but her face looked bright and full of light.

Sasuke stared, knowing she probably meant his brother. Who else would it be? They seemed to be growing closer and closer everyday. Stupid dangos. Not that he cared.

"'Bye, everyone!" She said brightly as she sped off in the direction of the hospital.

The younger Uchiha sighed and turned away from her shrinking figure, only to be startled by Naruto's face inches from his.

"_Kami_, _dobe_. You don't want a repeat of that atrocious—"

"Sasuke," Naruto said, his face contorted. "It's not too late, you know."

He rolled his eyes. "Too late to what?"

"Tell her how you feel! Idiot, just do it!"

"Shut up, you don't know what you're talking about, dobe," he growled, looking nervously around for Kakashi, but the latter was suddenly gone.

"Don't I? You've been miserable ever since they started going out," the Uzumaki pushed. "You've been going straight home after missions—"

"I've always done that even before, loser."

"You always ate with us before!"

"No I didn't!"

"You did, when Sakura-chan was here!"

His jaw clamped shut.

"I'm telling you it's not too late! Just go to her now, and tell her—"

"—what, idiot? And then hurt them both?"

It was Naruto's turn to get stumped, because the Uchiha had just indirectly admitted something he knew anyway yet it was different to have it confirmed, but he shook his head after a few seconds, undeterred.

"If you don't say anything, all three of you will get hurt," the Uzumaki shrugged, and walked away.

Sasuke wondered irritably where the Uzumaki got his sudden bursts of wisdom. It certainly wasn't from their _sensei_. He sighed and walked towards the hospital before he could talk himself out of it.

* * *

He didn't know why he was on the path towards the hospital and what he was going to do once he got there; the two could have very well gone out to lunch already, but maybe Sasuke could wait in her office.

He was walking through the main hallway when he heard his brother's voice and he panicked, immediately suppressing his chakra and hiding behind a potted plant. There was a giggle that followed, and he looked at Sakura and Itachi, about to go out to lunch.

Except it wasn't Sakura who was with his older brother. It was a brunette, someone he'd seen around the Uchiha district.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. This couldn't be happening. Why was his brother going out with someone else when Sakura had been so excited to see him? Did they break up? He wanted to ask his brother point blank but he was in shock. Had Shisui rubbed off on him? He was going to murder that curly haired bastard. Somehow. Then his brother.

Sasuke instead found himself sprinting towards Sakura's office on the third floor, his mind whirring. He wondered what had happened. What she was doing. How she was feeling.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," the kunoichi exclaimed, making him jump. He wasn't aware that he had opened her door already.

He took in the _onigiri_ she was munching on, and the _dango_ on her left side, probably brought by his brother.

His brother.

"Sakura, Itachi..."

"Oh, you just missed him, Sasuke-kun," she supplied brightly. She seemed utterly pleased with herself. "He was here just a few minutes ago. You know, I think—"

"He doesn't like you, Sakura," he blurted out, not knowing why. It wasn't what he'd planned on saying.

"Oh, I know that, Sasuke-kun," the _kunoichi_ said, looking at him with the same smile on her face. "I actually—"

"Why are you like this? I just told you my brother doesn't like you and yet you continue to chase after him like some kind of fool!"

Sasuke regretted his words immediately after they came out of his mouth. _Stupid. Stupid!_

Sakura's expression changed from shock, to hurt, and finally to a blank poker face, all in a matter of seconds.

"Are we still talking about Itachi?" The _kunoichi_ asked, her voice dangerously soft, making the hair on the back of Sasuke's neck stand up.

The _kunoichi_ stood up, her hands balled into little fists. Sasuke still stood a full head taller than her, but her stare never wavered. Her jade orbs glittered dangerously and the air crackled with energy. Sasuke had the sudden urge to get the hell out of there.

"Please leave," Sakura said.


	3. She hasn't, either

_"Well there must be _someone_, Ita," Sakura pushed, her mouth full of dango. They were on their fifth "date" now, but it was friendly more than anything. They were growing very close, and since they weren't going in that direction, Sakura decided it was her duty to ensure her new found friend's happiness either way._

_Itachi hesitated. There was only ever one girl..._

_"Do you know... Izumi Uchiha?"_

_"Oh, Izumi-nee san! Yes! What a coincidence, she's one of my regulars! Very pretty," Sakura beamed, wiggling her eyebrows. "Well then, thank you for that information. You have nothing to worry about now. Leave the rest to me!"_

_"And what exactly is it that you plan on doing?" He sighed, but smiled in spite of himself._

_"Why, set you up, of course! Come visit me at the hospital Saturday after next, you'll see!"_

_"I don't know, Sakura-chan..."_

_"Itachi Uchiha you listen to me," she said firmly. "You deserve happiness and I will give it to you, simple as that! Hospital. Next next Saturday. Lunch time." She finished and stood up to stretch, before kissing him on the cheek. "Yes?"_

_"Yes, ma'am," he sighed, resigned as he watched her walk away._

* * *

"Sasuke."

"_Nii-san._"

"What are you doing out here? It's late."

"What does it look like? I'm training."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at his younger brother's tone. He watched Sasuke throwing multiple shrunken at the target for a while. His _otouto_ was doing it perfectly, just like Itachi taught him. He smiled in spite of himself, proud that his little brother came this far.

"May I join you?"

Sasuke eyes his big brother warily as the latter threw six different shuriken at six different targets, first with his right hand, then with his left.

As his big brother walked over to the targets to collect the shuriken, he spoke.

"What are you doing here, _nii-san_?" Sasuke wondered why Itachi would join him when he usually spent his rare nights home reading or taking a break from being a Shinobi.

Itachi was taking his sweet time with collecting the shuriken, and seemed to hesitate.

"You... like her, don't you?"

"I—who?" Sasuke was thankful it was dark already, because his ruddy face would have revealed he knew perfectly well who his _nii-san_ was talking about.

"Sasuke." Itachi faced his little brother, and the younger Uchiha was surprised at the red irises that greeted him.

"_Nii-san_, your _Sharingan_," he managed.

"Ah, forgive me. I am sad, you see."

"Sad?" Sasuke half asked, half stated.

"You used to tell me everything. When I went home from missions, you used to go up to me immediately and gush about what you did for the day, what mundane chore you helped _okaa-san_ with, what shuriken technique you perfected, what you and Shiro did on your walks... and you would ask me how my day went and you would want to know all about my missions... I wonder," he paused, and Sasuke was shocked to see something glimmer on his big brother's cheek. "I wonder where everything went wrong."

"Well it's obvious, isn't it?" Sasuke hadn't meant to say it, but the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could do anything to prevent them from doing so. "You stopped coming home. So how could I have told you anything ever again?"

His fists were clenched and suddenly he was seeing red. _Ah. Might as well._

"I waited for you at first, you know. Everyday. But you never came home like you did before. When you did, you always wanted to be alone. And I don't know when exactly that happened but it felt like I lost you. Like I didn't have a brother anymore."

"I... did not mean to make you feel that way, Sasuke," Itachi's face was pained.

"I know," Sasuke replied, and he was suddenly exhausted. Aside from the chakra-consuming use of his Sharingan, seeing his nii-san like this drained the life out of him.

"It's just..." He tried one last time. "When I was a kid, we were a team. And then we just stopped and..." His voice faded, not able to go on.

Itachi looked like the world crumbled around him. Sasuke sighed and was just about to take everything back when he felt his brother flash-step towards him. He tensed—

"—_nii-san_?" Sasuke was in shock as he found himself crushed into a hug.

"I'm still here, Sasuke. I never left," Itachi said softly.

"I... Okay, _nii-san_," Sasuke let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. His vision went back to normal as he felt his Sharingan swirl back in on itself.

"Will you let me try harder, Sasuke?" Itachi asked as he finally pulled away. His eyes were back to normal too, except for the ghost of the tears he shed earlier.

The younger Uchiha's instinct was to tell his big brother that he didn't have to, and that his duty was to the village and that he was a big boy and he could and should be able to handle this.

Instead, he nodded.

* * *

"She hasn't left you either, you know, _otouto_," Itachi said softly as they walked through the Uchiha district.

"_Nii-san_..."

"She set me up with Izumi. The only reason Sakura agreed to have a date with me was because she needed to explain that she would never stop loving you, but that she didn't want to push herself where she wasn't wanted. And also perhaps so I could pay for _dango_."

"What gave her that impression?" Sasuke couldn't stop himself again and mentally scolded himself for it. His mind was reeling with the information. Why was he like this, always bursting with emotion when it came to his brother and... and _her_?

"That... we could eat _dango_?" Itachi asked, his voice confused.

"What. No!" Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. "That she wasn't... wanted." He was avoiding his brother's eyes up to this point but he looked at Itachi and found him looking at himself with something akin to exasperation. Ah, he had manipulated him into saying the truth. Bloody Anbu.

"You did tell her it was okay to go out with your big brother, Sasuke."

"I only did it because you surpr—"

"So she is wanted?"

"What?!" His face felt hot now and he was half-chastising himself for talking with his big brother again. They were nearly at their home now.

"Sasuke," Itachi stopped and looked him in the eye. He had no choice but to stop too. "A girl like that, doesn't come along very often. Do something about your little crush before she realizes she's too good for—"

"—Little crush?" He muttered, utterly embarrassed now.

"But first," his older brother looked at him firmly. "You have to apologize."

He was at a loss.

"For treating her like her feelings meant nothing to you. For pushing her away and holding her at a distance because you were afraid she would 'leave' you like I did. For not letting her know how you really feel. For—"

"I get it, I get it!" He waved his arms as their house came into view. He didn't want his parents to overhear.

"Good," Itachi smiled brightly.

* * *

Sakura was telling him about her plan to finally lose it—only she could plan something like losing it—in front of Kakashi as they went on a mission to find yet another cat that she didn't notice they had become a two man cell for the time being and were alone together.

"Sakura," Sasuke finally said.

Sakura jumped, startled into looking at him. For a moment her eyes shifted around in panic before settling on him with a brave kind of determination.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She swallowed, and he nearly cringed at the fakest smile he's ever seen her wear.

"Sakura," he said instead, his eyes piercing into hers. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly. "I'm sorry."

Sakura's eyebrows rose up and she withdrew a breath suddenly.

"Sorry? For what?"

He thought about everything his brother said, and everything he did in between. He sighed, because he remembered them all, and he truly was, very very sorry—

"For everything."

They stood there looking at each other, Sasuke practically hearing Sakura's gears whir. He was embarrassed and wanted to look away, but he couldn't stop looking at his teammate's face.

For a moment he thought he saw her eyes grow a brighter green than usual, but she blinked and they were back to normal. The _kunoichi_'s mouth turned upwards in a small smile. It was barely visible, but it was there and it was real. And it made Sasuke's heart skip a beat.

"You'd better be," Sakura muttered. "You idiot."

Sasuke smirked then.

"Ita told you?"

He frowned at the familiarity, but nodded.

"Well?" Sakura pushed.

"Well, what?"

"You aren't done," she replied with a sudden air of confidence.

"I—how—"

She was the one smirking now, but her expression was still soft.

"I... _waswondrinifyouwantegedangowime_."

"What, Sasuke-kun?"

He cleared his throat. "Would... would you like to get _dango_ with me?" He was looking at anywhere but her now.

"No way!" He heard her say, and the sentence repeated itself over and over in his head.

"Oh," his heart was in his throat, he expected the worst but he didn't know she would be this adamant. He continued to look away.

"Why would I want to get dango with you? You hate sweets!" Sasuke looked up at that, and saw Sakura's expressive face was all contorted in confusion.

"But you don't," he muttered, trying to hide his relief.

"I would prefer if we got something we both liked," she moved closer and touched his arm. "_Ne_?"

"Oh," he said dumbly.

"Hmm. How about ramen?"

"Yuck! Come on, that's something you and the _dobe_ would get on a date," he groaned.

"You jealous?" She teased. When Sasuke grunted, she continued. "Hmm. How about... takoyaki?"

"Ah," he nodded. He liked takoyaki. "That would be nice."

"Great!" He felt something soft and warm touch his cheek briefly and he looked up but Sakura was already far ahead of him, sneakily looking for Mr. Snuffles.

He felt his entire face heat up.

* * *

"Well you were right," Itachi told his best friend. They were hidden behind tall trees watching his little brother hash things out with Sakura.

"I always am, little _kohai_," Shisui said, and jumped away.

Itachi sighed and smiled at the distant figure of his little brother, and caught up with Shisui.


End file.
